Much of this novel is an undermining of the Bible. Cite instances of Christianity/religion being brought up in this novel. What comment does this novel have to say about religion? (Again probably a question that you can't answer until you finish the book or are much farther along in it than we are now.)
1. pg 43 "PyrE." "Spell it, please." "The name means nothing to you?" "No." It seems to me that they are using the word in a different way.- Catherine Averill (but I'm really not sure)
2. pg 15. "What's a matter, me? Help, you god damn gods. Help is all." Blasphemy came easily to him. It was half his speech...
It seems that the author is using the character of Gully Foyle to put a negative view of religion into the reader's mind via his blaspheming.
-Jess Filegar
In the book at the begining whenever he is awake and has the energy it goes into legth about him curse god as an individual and also curseing the god(s) themselves so it shows that there may not be heavy religion in the book as far as his faith goes. But he feels he needs someone to blame or someone to hate to stay alive in this case thats god or the gods.
-Alexander Hall
pg. 114- "He blinked in the light and scowled at Joseph and his innocent people gathering before him, their faces hideously decorated. And he knew that his own face must be flaming red and white for he saw Joseph start, and he saw the devil mouth shape the syllables: NOMAD." I think that this paragraph is a refrence to religion because, Joseph is refered as the devil and if Fully is refered as a God then it might show that the Scientific People and Joseph represent the devil/hell.- Catherine Averill
The characters in the book seem to have no problem with phrases like "What in God's name" and "God knows what" and they're doing it in a way that is taking the name of God in vain. So its kinda a indirect way of a negative look on God once again.
-Jess Filegar
Joseph was jesus's father in the bible it shows that its almost like he gave birth to nomad and chrisened him this. He started the chain of events to get Gully on the path of power with vengence because even though he must fight Vorga and the people behind the conspirecy he also must fight his own demons within revolving around his mask almost like a battle of faith. - Alexander Hall
pg. 145- "Cellar Christians! ... No wonder the house is man-trapped. Filthy practices like that. Look, they've got a priest and a rabbi and that thing behind them is a crucifix." At this point, religion has been outlawed and is viewed as a very dirty thing. At a later point in the book, religious practices are compared to pornography. Religion is getting even more of a negative spin.
-Jess Filegar
RE: Jess i completely agree with you i was actually going to use this as one of myposts. Religions are viewed as a dirty deed and therefore must be practiced in secret. However i'm curious as to why religions were outlawed and what the punishments are for those that do get caught performing religious ceremonies. ~nicole dengler
Response: I agree with Nicole and Jess that religion was viewed as a dirty thing, but what i don't understand is why. Like Nicole I am also curious to why religions were outlawed. I am also curious as to why are they view so negatively.-Chanelle Meadows
pg.150 "All right," Foyle burst out angrily. "It was me in hell, but I'm still going through with it. If i burn in hell, Vorga'll butn with me." He pounded his palms together, sting himself back to strngh and purpose. "I'm still going through with it, bu God! Shanghai next. Jaunte!" Obviously they still have a sense of heaven and hell in the book even though religion is outlawed. Gully thinks that he will burn in hell, this hints that they know religion is real because of what he is saying. So does Gully believe in any religion the reason for my question is Gully says he'll burn in hell. -Chanelle Meadows
Now that I have read the entire book I think that there is a religious references in the book in many different ways. For example, the people in the book use the words "Christ" and "Jesus" to express their anger. But on the other hand, sometimes the people in the book use the words to express their Faith in God.- Catherine Averill
In the end of the book Gully sees more of the fire image of himself and he thinks it is his gardain angel, but i noticed that everytime it appears in front of him it is always when Gully is doing or is about to do something bad. I think that this is telling Gully that his "gardain angel" is his future that he will burn in hell.-Catherine Averill
Pg. 245 "Peter and Saul are here. They say au revoir and good luck..."
I don't know if I missed something, but I don't know who Peter is... Anyway, these names certainly seem to be some kind of biblical reference. -Jess Filegar
pg. 198 "Two centuries of sudden death had inspired a reverence for green growing things that almost amonted to a religion." I find it interesting that alfred bester compared the conscious growing of plants to a relgion because uniformed religions had been banned in this period of time. However, the way he words this it almost makes this "religion" sound like a good thing for the planet mars. ~nicole dengler
I see the same as Catherine, why do they say religions are bad and dirty if they use it all the time! They use characters from the Bible in possitive but mostly negavtive ways, also they think of Hell and Heaven, why would anyone believe that, who at the same time thinks religions are filthy? Also with the guardian angel, how does he think hes a guardian angel? Thats another character out of the old testament! If the people would seriously think the religion is bad they would not think like that. I have the feeling people still believe and trust in good deep inside themselves. Andreas Natoli
In one part of the story, Gully is in an apartment building that had recently been raided by the Jerk-Jauntes, leaving massive holes through the several stories of the building. At one point though, a jerk-jaunte is set on fire by Gully, and is somewhat thrown through the hole in the floor. Personally, I look at this scene as a religious one, in the sense that Gully is a religious leader who is condemning the jaunter to hell (the hole in the floor). -Cullen Schimminger
1. pg 43 "PyrE." "Spell it, please." "The name means nothing to you?" "No." It seems to me that they are using the word in a different way.- Catherine Averill (but I'm really not sure)
2. pg 15. "What's a matter, me? Help, you god damn gods. Help is all." Blasphemy came easily to him. It was half his speech...
It seems that the author is using the character of Gully Foyle to put a negative view of religion into the reader's mind via his blaspheming.
-Jess Filegar
In the book at the begining whenever he is awake and has the energy it goes into legth about him curse god as an individual and also curseing the god(s) themselves so it shows that there may not be heavy religion in the book as far as his faith goes. But he feels he needs someone to blame or someone to hate to stay alive in this case thats god or the gods.
-Alexander Hall
pg. 114- "He blinked in the light and scowled at Joseph and his innocent people gathering before him, their faces hideously decorated. And he knew that his own face must be flaming red and white for he saw Joseph start, and he saw the devil mouth shape the syllables: NOMAD." I think that this paragraph is a refrence to religion because, Joseph is refered as the devil and if Fully is refered as a God then it might show that the Scientific People and Joseph represent the devil/hell.- Catherine Averill
The characters in the book seem to have no problem with phrases like "What in God's name" and "God knows what" and they're doing it in a way that is taking the name of God in vain. So its kinda a indirect way of a negative look on God once again.
-Jess Filegar
Joseph was jesus's father in the bible it shows that its almost like he gave birth to nomad and chrisened him this. He started the chain of events to get Gully on the path of power with vengence because even though he must fight Vorga and the people behind the conspirecy he also must fight his own demons within revolving around his mask almost like a battle of faith. - Alexander Hall
pg. 145- "Cellar Christians! ... No wonder the house is man-trapped. Filthy practices like that. Look, they've got a priest and a rabbi and that thing behind them is a crucifix." At this point, religion has been outlawed and is viewed as a very dirty thing. At a later point in the book, religious practices are compared to pornography. Religion is getting even more of a negative spin.
-Jess Filegar
RE: Jess i completely agree with you i was actually going to use this as one of myposts. Religions are viewed as a dirty deed and therefore must be practiced in secret. However i'm curious as to why religions were outlawed and what the punishments are for those that do get caught performing religious ceremonies. ~nicole dengler
Response: I agree with Nicole and Jess that religion was viewed as a dirty thing, but what i don't understand is why. Like Nicole I am also curious to why religions were outlawed. I am also curious as to why are they view so negatively.-Chanelle Meadows
pg.150 "All right," Foyle burst out angrily. "It was me in hell, but I'm still going through with it. If i burn in hell, Vorga'll butn with me." He pounded his palms together, sting himself back to strngh and purpose. "I'm still going through with it, bu God! Shanghai next. Jaunte!" Obviously they still have a sense of heaven and hell in the book even though religion is outlawed. Gully thinks that he will burn in hell, this hints that they know religion is real because of what he is saying. So does Gully believe in any religion the reason for my question is Gully says he'll burn in hell. -Chanelle Meadows
Now that I have read the entire book I think that there is a religious references in the book in many different ways. For example, the people in the book use the words "Christ" and "Jesus" to express their anger. But on the other hand, sometimes the people in the book use the words to express their Faith in God.- Catherine Averill
In the end of the book Gully sees more of the fire image of himself and he thinks it is his gardain angel, but i noticed that everytime it appears in front of him it is always when Gully is doing or is about to do something bad. I think that this is telling Gully that his "gardain angel" is his future that he will burn in hell.-Catherine Averill
Pg. 245 "Peter and Saul are here. They say au revoir and good luck..."
I don't know if I missed something, but I don't know who Peter is... Anyway, these names certainly seem to be some kind of biblical reference. -Jess Filegar
pg. 198 "Two centuries of sudden death had inspired a reverence for green growing things that almost amonted to a religion." I find it interesting that alfred bester compared the conscious growing of plants to a relgion because uniformed religions had been banned in this period of time. However, the way he words this it almost makes this "religion" sound like a good thing for the planet mars. ~nicole dengler
I see the same as Catherine, why do they say religions are bad and dirty if they use it all the time! They use characters from the Bible in possitive but mostly negavtive ways, also they think of Hell and Heaven, why would anyone believe that, who at the same time thinks religions are filthy? Also with the guardian angel, how does he think hes a guardian angel? Thats another character out of the old testament! If the people would seriously think the religion is bad they would not think like that. I have the feeling people still believe and trust in good deep inside themselves. Andreas Natoli
In one part of the story, Gully is in an apartment building that had recently been raided by the Jerk-Jauntes, leaving massive holes through the several stories of the building. At one point though, a jerk-jaunte is set on fire by Gully, and is somewhat thrown through the hole in the floor. Personally, I look at this scene as a religious one, in the sense that Gully is a religious leader who is condemning the jaunter to hell (the hole in the floor). -Cullen Schimminger